


take my hand, don't ever let go

by strawberryke



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bad Parents, Fake Character Death, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Human Trafficking, Hurt/Comfort, Hybrids, Kidnapping, M/M, Mystery, No Smut, Non-Graphic Violence, POV Multiple
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:15:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29503269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberryke/pseuds/strawberryke
Summary: Younghyun stills at that, a frown tugging at his lips. “Why?” he asks.Sungjin stops moving too. “Why what?”“Why do you want to help me?”Sungjin’s eyebrows draw together. “Because you seem lost and scared, and you shouldn’t have to be.”(Wherein Younghyun runs away from the only home he's ever known, and possibly ends up finding a new one in the process)
Relationships: Kang Younghyun | Young K/Park Sungjin
Comments: 12
Kudos: 62





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> see tags for warnings, with chapter specific warnings in author's notes. this fic is rated M due to the mature themes mentioned in the tags, but overall will be pretty T rated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> additional warning: this chapter contains a scene with near suffocation. the attempted non-con mentioned in the tags occurs in this chapter, and there will be no more for the rest of the story.

Kang Younghyun has spent a lot of his life alone.

He’s even alone right now, trailing the tips of his fingers along the wall as he walks slowly down the hallway. It’s cool to the touch, his fingers catching on the ridges of the exposed stone. November was almost over, and the cold depths of winter would be upon them soon. He’s not bundled up for the weather at the moment though; he’s in a suit, all dressed up as someone important would be visiting them for dinner.

“Make sure you all look your best,” his mother had said that morning to her five children. They were barely children anymore though, his oldest brother having just turned twenty-seven, soon to be married to the daughter of a billionaire, and his youngest sister, in her final year of high-school at seventeen. And then there was Younghyun, the middle child, twenty-one years old. He frowns as he continues walking. Was twenty-one considered old? In a lot of the books he’d read, people much younger than him had done a lot more with their lives. But most of that was just fiction. Although, Younghyun isn’t really sure how accurate all that is to the real world.

Mrs. Lee, the head housemaid, comes towards him then from around the corner. “The Governor will be here shortly, dear, you should head down to the parlour.”

Younghyun nods. When he reaches the parlour, his siblings are all there, already standing in a row as their mother inspects them one by one to make sure they look presentable. She fixes stray hairs and smiles at each of them one by one. When she reaches Younghyun, all she says is, “You’re late,” before turning away to adjust their father’s tie. Younghyun isn’t bothered though. This is just a regular evening in the Kang household.

The doorbell rings. Younghyun watches as Mr. Kim, the butler, opens it to a tall man who looks to be in his late fifties, with graying hair and piercing eyes. Mr. Kim takes his coat and walks the man into the parlour.

“Welcome, Governor Seo,” Younghyun’s father says with a bow, the rest of the family following suit and bowing deeply.

“Ah, Jinsang, it’s been too long.” Governor Seo shakes his hand firmly, and then he turns to look at the rest of the family, his eyes trailing over them one by one, until he reaches Younghyun. He stares, and Younghyun stares back. This isn’t anything new, being the only hybrid in a seven-member family definitely makes him stand out. But a few seconds pass, and the Governor doesn’t look away, making Younghyun squirm uncomfortably. Younghyun tries giving a small smile, but the man doesn’t return it. He seems to be deep in thought, his eyes trailing over Younghyun from head to toe.

The Governor finally looks away when Jinsang starts introducing his family. His beautiful wife, his handsome eldest son, his lovely eldest daughter, his fourth child, with the highest GPA in his college, his youngest child, on her way to becoming a politician in the making, and finally, Younghyun.

No description required, just Younghyun.

The governor smiles, “It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Sunhee,” he says to Younghyun’s mother. He kisses the back of her hand, and then proceeds to go down the line, shaking all of his sibling’s hands. Younghyun notices a tattoo on the back of his hand that looks like a compass.

As the Governor draws nearer, Younghyun fixes a smile on his face. _People like it when you smile, dear,_ his mother would say. And Younghyun would rather please people than not. He’s learned that the hard way.

The Governor reaches Younghyun and shakes his hand, but his fingers are icy cold. Younghyun flinches in surprise and has to force himself to continue smiling. Governor Seo returns the smile, but there’s no warmth in it. His smile is just as cold as his hands.

+++

When Younghyun was a child, he realized he looked different from his siblings pretty early on. It’s obvious, even to a 5-year-old, when you’re the only one with an extra limb attached to your back, and an extra pair of ears sticking out of your head. However, the difference between Younghyun and his siblings didn’t end there.

When it came time for Younghyun to start going to school. His parents hired him a tutor to home school him. Younghyun had cried, why couldn’t he go to school with his siblings?

His parents had said, “The world doesn’t treat hybrids kindly, you will be safer at home.” So, for fear of getting hurt in the outside world, Younghyun was kept in an inside one.

He still got hurt regardless.

Younghyun got into trouble easily as a child, but not because of his own doing. Anything his siblings did inevitably got blamed on him. Once, his older brother had pushed Younghyun while they were on a walk in the garden, right in front of their parents. He skinned his knee on the walkway, but all his father had said was, “You should be more careful, Younghyun.”

Then they had all walked away.

A few months later, his older sister was working on an oil painting and had thought it would be a good idea to give Younghyun some new colours in his tail. It had dried into his fur, blue and green clumps in his usually smooth red tail. Younghyun had tried for ages to scrub it out in the shower, his vision blurred by the stream of water and his own tears, but it was hardened to a rock.

The next day his mother said, “All you have is your beauty, and yet you go and ruin that too.” He got sent to his room for the evening as punishment.

Mrs. Lee took pity on Younghyun, and came to his room with a bottle of olive oil and a comb. She soaked the hardened paint in the oil until it softened, and combed it out gently until his tail was paint free. She had patted his tears dry that day, and would do it again many more times in the years to come.

Broken vases. Lost jewellery. Food spilled on expensive clothing. Everything became Younghyun’s fault. Even if his parents weren’t there to witness it, his siblings blamed it all on him. They were just children following the example set by their parents, after all.

Younghyun learned to stay quiet after that, tried to make as little of an impact. He would spend hours in his room alone reading books he borrowed from his father’s library. Reading fascinated him. He could be transported into a different world with just some words on paper. But despite all the possibilities and fantastical places, books set in the real-world intrigued him the most. All he’s ever known is the estate, and despite the sprawling land and forest surrounding it, the only people within its boundaries are his family and the house staff.

So, he learned to like being alone.

Younghyun soaked up all the knowledge he could about the world outside. He read every book in his father’s the library over the years, non-fiction and fiction alike. While his siblings were at school, he asked his tutors questions about what the world was like, and they answered easily, happy to have a student who was eager to learn. When his siblings came home from school, he would sit in the midst of them silently with a book, but instead of focusing on the words on the page, he listened to them chat about school. Their friends, their classes, their teachers—it was all interesting to him.

But he would never get to experience it for himself.

Younghyun concludes that this must be what life is like for all hybrids like him.

+++

They’re just finishing up dinner, the maids taking away the empty plates, when Governor Seo leans in to talk to Younghyun’s father. He had taken the seat directly across from Younghyun, and Younghyun felt the Governor’s eyes on him throughout the entire evening. He was uncomfortable with the attention; all he wants to do is run up and hide in his room. But Younghyun can see that everyone is doing their best to make a good impression on the Governor. This man must be a lot more important to his family than the other _important people_ they’ve had as guests in the past. So, to please everyone and to avoid getting in trouble, Younghyun acts like nothing is wrong.

“The fox hybrid grew up well,” Governor Seo says to his father. Younghyun looks up in surprise at the mention of himself and meets the Governor’s gaze

Younghyun’s father hums, “Yes, he has.” He glances at the Governor staring intently at Younghyun, “Do you want something from him?” he asks.

The Governor turns to face the other man, raising his eyebrows, a smirk toying at his lips.

Younghyun’s father shrugs, “Go ahead,” he says.

Younghyun glances between the two men in confusion.

“Everyone, dinner is over, feel free to head back to your rooms,” his mother says abruptly, clapping her hands. Mrs. Lee takes away the remaining food platters from the table, her shoulders tense. Younghyun’s siblings all get up, the older ones glancing at him before they leave, the younger ones not sensing anything wrong. Younghyun slowly gets to his feet too, fear and confusion starting to take over him.

His mother comes around the table to him and grips his chin tightly, forcing him to look at her, “Be a good boy,” she says. There’s a fierceness in her eyes he’s never seen before. Younghyun just nods mutely in response, his heart in his throat.

Governor Seo beckons him over, and Younghyun glances at his father who gives him a nod. Younghyun follows him down the hallways, his heart speeding up, scared to be alone with this strange man. When the Governor leads him up the stairs and turns the hall to where the guest bedrooms are, fear grips Younghyun’s heart as he finally gets an inkling of what’s happening.

He turns abruptly and tries to run, but Governor Seo grabs his arm tight, “You want to be a good boy for your parents, don’t you?” he says, dragging Younghyun down the hall. Younghyun plants his feet into the floor, trying to pull his arm away with all his might, but the Governor’s grip just tightens. He grabs Younghyun’s tail with his other hand, yanking hard, and Younghyun gasps. Tears prick his eyes at the sudden pain, and his body freezes up. He loses whatever momentum he had been gaining. Governor Seo jerks him forward down the hallway at a rapid pace.

“Resistance is futile, pretty fox,” Governor Seo says with a grin, shoving Younghyun into the room. He locks the door behind him. “Sit,” he commands, but Younghyun remains standing as Governor Seo toes off his shoes.

Younghyun’s eyes flick around the room, searching for an escape. The Governor is standing in front of the door, effectively blocking it. The windows in this room are small, but he knows they’re easy to open, as with all the windows in the house. He lunges towards them, but Governor Seo seems to be expecting it. He grabs Younghyun easily, pinning his arms to his sides and pushing him against the wall, “Not so fast little one,” he says.

With the sudden closeness, Younghyun smells the alcohol on the Governor’s breath. He feels sick. He squirms, trying to get to the window, but without his arms free there’s not much he can do. He tries to stomp down on the Governor’s foot with his shoe, but he misses. A helpless sob escapes his lips.

“Don’t cry,” he says, “At least not yet. We haven’t even reached the good part.” Tears blur Younghyun’s vision.

Then, there’s a knock at the door. The Governor stills, slapping a hand over Younghyun’s mouth and squeezing his nose closed with his thumb and forefinger so he can’t make a sound.

Younghyun can’t breathe.

“Do you need anything for the night, sir?” A female voice asks. Younghyun recognizes it to be Mrs. Lee. He tries to make a sound, anything, to let her know that he’s in here, but the Governor’s hand just tightens on his face, pushing his head more firmly into the wall.

Governor Seo takes his sweet time in replying, “No, thank you.” He smiles as he stares into Younghyun’s wide eyes, “I’m fine.”

There’s a pause. “Very well, sir.” Her footsteps can be heard receding down the hallway, but Governor Seo doesn’t move. Younghyun starts to thrash, panic filling every part of his being. His lungs are burning, he needs to breathe.

Governor Seo just watches Younghyun coolly before withdrawing his hand. Younghyun draws in a deep breath, relief filling him. He chokes on his saliva and starts coughing loudly, but the Governor ignores it, pushing Younghyun down onto the bed.

“You’re lucky I like a little fight,” he says, while Younghyun lies gasping for breath.

Younghyun feels drained. The world is spinning around him. Or is _he_ the one spinning? He can’t tell.

He tries to focus on breathing.

Then there’s another knock at the door.

“What now?!” Governor Seo yells loudly. Younghyun winces, lifting his hands to try and cover his ears. He doesn’t make it all the way though, his hands dropping to the bed halfway.

The edges of his vision are starting to go black.

“Sorry for disturbing you, sir. I brought you some whisky, as I was told you would enjoy some,” comes a man’s voice this time.

Younghyun knows the voice but he feels like his brain is wading through mud. He can’t place it for the life of him, but he notes with relief that Governor Seo isn’t standing over him anymore.

His eyes flutter shut.

Younghyun hears the door being opened, and then, a crash of glass. He sits up in surprise and the world spins with renewed vigour due to the sudden change of position.

Younghyun clutches his head as he turns to try and place the source of the noise. There’s a whisky bottle and drinking glasses smashed on the floor. Mr. Kim, the butler, is standing in the doorway apologizing profusely. He makes eye contact with Younghyun, “Run,” he mouths.

Younghyun blinks back at him. Did he say _run?_ Fear clutches at his heart, making him freeze.

The Governor is wiping at his pants where the whisky splashed onto him and he steps back, accidentally stepping on a large shard of glass. He swears loudly, stumbling back to the recliner in the corner to try and pull the glass from his foot. Mr. Kim is now crouched over the mess, trying to clean it up, but he has his eyes on Younghyun. He jerks his head to the door and Younghyun is finally spurred into action, adrenaline taking over.

He stands and runs to the door, fighting the dizziness. Governor Seo gets up with a cry to come after him, but he hasn’t removed the glass from his foot yet so it digs in deeper. He lets out a cry of pain, falling back into the chair. Younghyun thanks the heavens that he’s still wearing his shoes as he runs over the shards of glass, past Mr. Kim, and down the hall.

As he turns the corner to run down the staircase, vertigo hits him and he nearly slides down the entire flight, but he catches himself on the railing, breathing hard. He runs down the stairs as fast he dares, gripping tightly onto the railing so he doesn’t fall. He manages to make it down safely and run to the front door.

Mrs. Lee is standing at the entrance with his winter coat in her hands. “Here,” she says as she hands it to him, wrapping a scarf around his neck. “Don’t look back,” she whispers.

Younghyun nods and throws his arms around her in a tight hug. She hugs him back and Younghyun can feel her shoulders shake as she cries. The Governor bellows Younghyun’s name from upstairs, and they pull apart abruptly. “Go!” she whispers, yanking the door open and pushing Younghyun out.

He hears the lock click in finality after she shuts the door in his face.

+++

Younghyun feels like he’s been running for hours before he starts slowing down, the adrenaline finally wearing off and reality kicking in. He was running away from his home, the only place he’d ever known. He’s never even been outside the estate, let alone tried to survive on his own. But he can’t go back. Ever. Punishment would surely face him for disrespecting someone his parents wanted to please.

Tears prick his eyes at the thought of his parents. They had given him over to the Governor, almost eagerly, and for what? Political power? Money? The tears escape his eyes and he wipes them away angrily.

Was his entire life a lie? As lonely as he has felt until now, as poorly as his family had ever treated him, he had always believed that they were just protecting him out of love. But what nearly happened today, no one would ever let that happen to someone they loved. Would they?

Had they ever loved him? Younghyun trips on a branch then, falling to his knees. He puts his face in his hands and cries, the frost on the ground melting and soaking into his pants, the wind howling around him. He stays like that for a while, until it gets too cold for him to bear. Younghyun doesn’t have the energy to go any further tonight.

He crawls along the ground until he reaches a large tree, collapsing in the hollow created by its roots. It feels even colder now, as it usually gets in the depths of night, his breath coming out in puffs of white. Younghyun yanks the hood of his coat firmly over his head, pulling his arms from the sleeves and into the body of the coat for warmth. He closes his eyes.

+++

Younghyun has been walking, following the path of a stream the entire day. Now, darkness surrounds him once again. His stomach has been growling incessantly for a while, but he’s not sure where he can find food in the middle of a forest. Would he have to kill a bird and cook it? That’s what the protagonist in an adventure novel would do. Younghyun debates this as he walks, jamming his hands more tightly into his pockets. The only sounds are his own breathing and the crunch of twigs and dead leaves beneath his feet.

He pauses for a second as another sound catches his ears. He frowns, throwing his hood off to be able to hear better, turning his fox ears in every direction.

Younghyun hears it again. The sound of cars driving past. Hope fills his chest; he must be near a road. But his little hope is quickly replaced by fear. Cars must also mean that he’s near other people.

_The world doesn’t treat hybrids kindly._

He has the choice to either follow the sounds in search of food and someplace warm to sleep, and risk being caught, or stay out here, try to catch something to eat, and possibly die of hypothermia.

Younghyun squares his shoulders and starts walking in the direction of the sound of cars. If he keeps his coat on, no one will even be able to tell he’s a hybrid with his tail and ears tucked safely inside. _Find food, find shelter._ He repeats it to himself like a mantra, urging his tired body forwards, even though everything he’s ever known is telling him to turn back and hide.


	2. Chapter 2

Younghyun finds himself walking beside the street he had heard earlier, and there are buildings already decorated with Christmas lights lined up on each side. He wants to take his time, look at everything more closely, but he’s starting to feel a bit light headed.

So, Younghyun follows his nose and ends up in an alley beside what he assumes must be a restaurant. Something smells good and his stomach growls again angrily. Younghyun tiptoes down the alley, past a dumpster, and right in front of a door in the wall, there’s a cardboard box of discarded bread rolls. He snatches one up eagerly, inspecting it for a second before taking a bite. He sighs in relief and eats the entire thing in two bites. He’s reaching for another one when the door opens, casting light into the dark alley.

Younghyun drops the roll back into the box, backing away from the door, only stopping when he hits the wall behind him. Standing illuminated by the light behind him is a young man with an apron on, a look of surprise on his face. The man steps forward and Younghyun cowers back. He wants to run but the dumpster is blocking the way.

The man stops and holds up his hands, “Hey, it’s okay,” he says. He glances down at the box of bread at his feet, “Were you looking for food?”

Younghyun doesn’t reply, he just stares at him, trying to read his expression and next moves.

The man looks like he’s considering something, his eyes trailing over Younghyun’s face, the almost knee length parka he’s wearing, and his now dirty dress pants and shoes. He seems to come to a decision.

“Why don’t you come inside? I have some leftovers you can eat, it’s better than just plain bread.”

Younghyun gives a short shake of his head. No. As hungry as he is, he’s not trusting a stranger. _Please just go back inside,_ he begs the man silently. _Let me run away._

But he doesn’t leave. The man’s eyebrows just draw together in concern, “Come on, it’s cold, and you look like you’ve been outside for a while.”

Younghyun shakes his head again stubbornly.

“Suit yourself,” he says and shrugs his shoulders, “I’ll leave the door open while I clean up if you change your mind.”

Younghyun watches as he turns, kicking a door stop down to prop open the door. The man walks into the kitchen, and as promised, works on cleaning up. The light and warmth from the kitchen pour out invitingly into the alley, and Younghyun confirms that this was indeed the source of the good smell he had been following. He hears music playing on low volume from a radio, the man humming along at times as he cleans.

As much as Younghyun is scared, he’s curious too. He finds himself leaning forward slightly to get a better view of the kitchen. There are numerous appliances lining the walls, so many that Younghyun isn’t even sure what some of them are for. His eyes flick over them one by one. Oven. Fridge. Toaster? He’s trying to figure out what one large appliance with a metal bar around it is for when he hears a laugh.

“Are you looking at the dishwasher?” the man says, a bemused look on his face. He’s leaning back against the island in the middle of the kitchen, his arms crossed over his chest as he watches Younghyun. “If you come in, I can show you how it works?”

Younghyun stares at him, trying to read any bad intent, but all he sees is amusement in the pair of sparkling eyes looking back at him. He seems nice, and so far, he hasn’t shown any signs of wanting to hurt him. Younghyun wonders if he continues to hide that he’s a hybrid, maybe he would be fine?

Younghyun makes sure his hood is firmly on his head, concealing his fox ears, before taking a tentative step forward into the kitchen.

The man grins as he asks, “Food first or the dishwasher?”

Younghyun places a hand on his stomach in surprise, he had nearly forgotten his hunger.

The man follows Younghyun’s hand’s movement with his eyes, “Food it is then!”

“Sit,” he says, pulling out a chair from a tiny table in the corner of the kitchen and filling up a glass of water. “You must be thirsty too,” he says.

Younghyun waits until the man has walked away to go to the table. He gulps down the water fast—he hadn’t realized how thirsty he was. Younghyun watches the man as he moves, heating a pan on the stove and grabbing leftovers from the fridge. Younghyun has never cooked before.

 _That’s what we hire chefs for, dear,_ his mother would say.

Younghyun abandons the chair and moves closer to the stove, watching the man curiously. He puts the pasta from the fridge into the heated pan and starts moving it around.

The man glances at Younghyun from the corner of his eye, “What’s your name?” he asks. Younghyun stares at him silently. Would it be safe to reveal his name? He’s not sure.

“Well,” the man continues after a few moments of silence, “If you’re not going to talk, then I will.” He stirs the pasta a few times, and then starts flipping it with flicks of the pan. Younghyun watches with wide eyes as all of the pasta somehow magically lands back in the pan instead of falling onto the counter.

“My name is Park Sungjin, and this is my restaurant. We just opened six months ago.”

Park Sungjin seems proud of this, a bright smile on his face, and Younghyun thinks he should be. He doesn’t know anyone who owns a restaurant, but then again, he doesn’t know all that many people to begin with. _Your restaurant seems very nice,_ he wants to say, but there’s something stopping him.

_If he knew that I’m a hybrid, would he still want to talk to me?_

Younghyun’s thoughts are interrupted by his stomach grumbling loudly. The food smells amazing.

Sungjin smiles as he continues stirring the pasta, but doesn’t comment on Younghyun’s stomach’s complaints. He starts humming again to the song on the radio and Younghyun likes the sound. It’s nice, warm.

When the food is ready, Younghyun helps Sungjin set out plates and cutlery on the small table. Younghyun waits for Sungjin to start eating first before taking a bite himself.

Younghyun’s eyes widen in surprise as he chews. He doesn’t know if it’s just because he’s hungry, but he thinks this might be the best pasta he has ever had.

“Good?” Sungjin asks.

Younghyun nods enthusiastically in response and Sungjin laughs, “I’m glad.”

Sungjin finishes eating first and watches Younghyun, resting his chin in his hand as Younghyun devours his first meal of the day. “Want more?” he asks, and Younghyun shakes his head no.

“You know you can take your coat off, right?” Sungjin asks mildly as he starts gathering the empty dishes. Younghyun _is_ overheating from wearing his coat with the hood up indoors, but ignores Sungjin’s comment. He knows he probably looks ridiculous, but he’s not risking revealing himself.

Sungjin beckons Younghyun to follow him.

Younghyun goes after him hesitantly, not sure where Sungjin is taking him. They move deeper into the kitchen and further from the door to the alley, further from Younghyun’s escape route.

But then, Sungjin stops in front of the dishwasher that Younghyun had been analyzing earlier.

“Here’s how it works,” he says. He lifts the top and puts the dishes in the rack. _So that’s what the bar is for,_ Younghyun thinks. Sungjin pulls the bar back down, closing the dishes in the dishwasher, and pushes a button. The machine whirs to life, making a loud noise as water starts to fill it, and Younghyun steps back in surprise.

Sungjin smiles as he watches him, “I know, it’s loud right?” He grabs a towel and starts wiping down the edges of the sink, when something catches Younghyun’s eye. There’s a framed picture on the wall, between the entrance to the kitchen and the sink, and what he sees takes his breath away. Younghyun steps closer. He squints to make sure he’s seeing right.

“Oh, that’s from our team party earlier this year,” Sungjin says, coming to stand beside Younghyun.

Younghyun turns his stare from the picture to the man beside him. _Team_ as in they work here?

Sungjin starts pointing out the people in the picture, but Younghyun’s attention is focused on two specific individuals.

There are five people in the picture, and of those, two are hybrids.

And as Sungjin points out the people in the picture, Younghyun finds out the following: the dog hybrid in the picture is a waiter, and the cat hybrid is the co-owner of the restaurant.

Younghyun has a million questions flying through his mind. Mainly, _a hybrid could own a restaurant?_

It’s possible that customers wouldn’t see someone if they solely worked in the kitchen, so maybe if Sungjin’s co-owner was a chef like him, they would be able to hide. But as a waiter, wouldn’t it be too dangerous to go out and serve customers? Wouldn’t they treat a hybrid waiter poorly? Also, was Sungjin just a kind enough person to co-own a restaurant with a hybrid? And to hire a hybrid as a waiter? Wouldn’t that be bad for business?

Sungjin is telling a story about the party, waving his arms for emphasis, but Younghyun isn’t paying attention. He bites his lip, and then decides he needs to ask _something._

“You have hybrids working here? And your co-owner is a hybrid?” Younghyun asks, cutting off Sungjin mid sentence. These are the first words he’s spoken to Sungjin all evening.

Sungjin blinks in surprise, “Well, yeah,” he says. “Is that a problem?”

Younghyun shakes his head, no, it’s not a problem to him. But wasn’t it a problem to the rest of the world?

“They don’t hide that they’re hybrids?”

“No, why would they?”

Younghyun feels like the world is crashing down on him. “I thought—” he trails off, staring at the picture again. This picture, this restaurant, humans and hybrids working together. It’s something he had thought was impossible. Had his parents been lying to him? Could he have been living a normal life this entire time, but was kept inside by his family? But why?

“You thought what?” Sungjin prods gently.

Younghyun considers his words carefully before replying. “I thought that it wasn’t safe for hybrids to be out in the world,” he says.

Sungjin raises his eyebrows, “Well yeah, maybe like hundreds of years ago, but times have changed. Hybrid rights are really strong now. Of course, there are always issues that pop up, but I wouldn’t say it’s unsafe for hybrids to be out in the world.” Both of them fall silent for a few moments, Sungjin seemingly waiting for a reply, which Younghyun wasn’t ready to give at the moment.

“Are you a time traveller from the past or something?” Sungjin asks, a smile now pulling at his lips.

Younghyun frowns. Is that possible? While he was walking in the forest, had he somehow managed to magically bring himself to the future? Younghyun’s mind races with the possibilities. “What year is it?”

Sungjin’s smile disappears upon hearing the utter seriousness in Younghyun’s voice. “It’s 2019,” he says.

“Oh.” It’s 2019 for Younghyun too. He can’t help feeling disappointed.

Sungjin stares at Younghyun, his eyes hovering somewhere above Younghyun’s eyeline.

“Are you a hybrid?” he asks suddenly, “Is that why you’ve had your hood on this entire time?”

Younghyun frowns. He can’t think of any valid excuse for why he still has his hood on.

_Maybe I’m just cold. Maybe I’m having a bad hair day. Maybe—_

Younghyun sighs. He’s tired of this. He glances at the picture once again. Everyone in it seems happy, they all have their arms around each other and big grins on their faces. Sungjin is there too.

If he’s friends with other hybrids, maybe it would be okay for him to know about Younghyun too.

Younghyun pulls off his hood, his ears popping up after being squashed flat for so long.

Sungjin only spares one glance at Younghyun’s fox ears before looking back down to his face. He seems concerned. “You were hiding that you’re a hybrid because someone told you that the world isn’t safe? Who told you that?”

Younghyun remains stubbornly silent. Sungjin knows that he’s a hybrid now, but Younghyun doesn’t trust him yet. He doesn’t want to reveal anything yet that could tie him back to his family.

Sungjin sighs and runs a hand through his hair. His eyes trail over Younghyun again. “Did you sleep outside?”

Younghyun nods.

Sungjin frowns, “It’s supposed to snow tonight, it won’t be safe to do that again. Can I take you to the police station?”

Younghyun’s eyes widen at that, shaking his head vigorously. No, the police would just take him back home. Going to them would be like walking right back into the estate, into his parents’ hands.

“Okay, no police then,” Sungjin says. “Are you a criminal or something?” he asks, his eyes narrowing.

Younghyun shakes his head no.

“A runaway?”

Younghyun unintentionally takes a step back, the question hitting too close for comfort.

He can’t explain his situation to Sungjin, as kind as he may seem. If people find out, he doesn’t doubt that word would travel back to his parents. They have connections, they’ll surely find him anywhere he goes. Younghyun feels fear fill him at the impossibility of the situation. He knows nothing, no one, how is he ever going to survive out here?

Younghyun starts backing away. He doesn’t care if it’s going to snow, at least he has his winter coat. Maybe he can survive on his own.

“Hey, don’t be scared,” Sungjin says, inching closer as Younghyun backs toward the door to the alley. “It’s okay, I just want to help.”

Younghyun stills at that, a frown tugging at his lips. “Why?” he asks.

Sungjin stops moving too, “Why what?”

“Why do you want to help me?”

Sungjin’s eyebrows draw together, “Because you seem lost and scared, and you shouldn’t have to be.”

Younghyun frowns harder. Can it be pure kindness motivating this man, this stranger he’s known for maybe an hour. Nobody can be that nice, not even the characters in the novels Younghyun has read.

And they were _fictional._

“I swear I don’t want to hurt you,” Sungjin says, “And I won't send you back to wherever you came from if you don't want to go.” He’s silent for a few moments, both of them just staring at each other.

“The people you’re running from, they were the ones who told you hybrids can’t go out in the world?”

Tears prick Younghyun’s eyes at the thought of his parents and their lies. He wants to give them the benefit of the doubt—maybe they had a reason for all of this. But a tiny voice in his head is saying that none of this makes sense. Maybe his parents hadn’t cared about what was best for him, but rather, what was best for _them?_

Younghyun finally gives Sungjin an answer, nodding slowly in response.

“Okay,” Sungjin breathes. He’s silent for a moment before seeming to come to a decision. “If you feel okay with coming to my place, you can sleep on the couch.” He presses his lips together, “Just promise me you're not going to murder me in the middle of the night or something. Or rob me. Or—I don’t know,” Sungjin drags his hands over his face, “Oh my God what am I doing,” he says with a groan.

Younghyun considers it. It was either sleep outside again, in the snow this time if Sungjin was to be trusted, or stay somewhere warm. A place where he wouldn’t have to go rummaging for food. It was tempting.

Was this the heavens offering him a helping hand?

Younghyun bites his lip in thought. This doesn’t seem like an offer he’d ever get again.

He decides he’ll take it.

“I promise,” Younghyun says. “I’m not a murderer, or a robber, or any kind of criminal.”

Sungjin lifts his head from his hands, a surprised look on his face. “I—okay.”

Younghyun gives him a small smile, “Thank you,” he says.

Sungjin just stares at Younghyun with wide eyes for a moment before returning the smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when i was writing the dishwasher part, all i could think of was that clip where dowoon was explaining a dishwasher to the rest day6 but it was just *insert random sound effects and hand gestures here* and rest of the boys were like ??? loll


	3. Chapter 3

If you had told college student Park Sungjin that in five years, he would open his own restaurant, he wouldn’t have believed you. And if you had told him that in five years, he would also be letting a stranger he found in an alley stay at his place, he also probably wouldn’t have believed you.

But, if you had told these things to any of his friends, they probably would have accepted with ease. Because that’s just the kind of person Sungjin is.

+++

Sungjin is currently standing with said stranger in his apartment. The drive over from the restaurant had been mostly quiet, save for the music playing on the radio. The young man (or boy?) had stared out the window the entire time, his fox ears twitching in interest, like a child entranced by the lights at a carnival. Sungjin had found himself slowing down so he would be able to see everything better.

When they arrived, Sungjin had run to the apartment next door to get some clothes that would fit a hybrid. Sungjin had also asked Dowoon to call him the next morning, and if he didn’t pick up, to assume the worst and call the police.

As much as Sungjin believes that this stranger is harmless, it’s always good to have a backup plan.

“Here,” Sungjin says, handing over the items he had gathered. One of his own t-shirts, and a pair of sweatpants, boxers, and a brush for fur from Dowoon.

“Dowoon assures me that the boxers are brand new.”

The boy lets out a laugh at that and Sungjin is caught off guard.

Every time Sungjin thinks he has him figured out; he surprises him.

After the continued silence earlier, Sungjin had assumed that he couldn’t speak, despite being able to understand what Sungjin said to him. But that had proven false once he asked about the picture hung in the kitchen. And then he had been caught off guard by his smile at the restaurant, and now, his laugh. _Maybe you should just stop assuming things about him,_ Sungjin chides himself.

And now that the boy has taken off his coat, Sungjin notices that he’s wearing an expensive looking tailored suit. Was he at a party when he ran away?

Sungjin wonders again about who had lied to the boy about the treatment of hybrids in the world. Sungjin wants to ask—maybe he’d be able to help him better if he knew the full story. But so far, asking questions has just gotten him silence and a few nods and shakes of the head in reply. Sungjin figures he’ll let the boy tell him on his own.

Maybe he just needs time.

+++

They’re both done with their showers now, sitting on opposite ends of the sofa. Sungjin had made tea for the two of them, and he sips it slowly, watching the boy as he brushes out the coppery red fur of his tail. Now that he can get a good look at him, Sungjin thinks he looks around the same age as himself, or a bit younger. He has dark hair, his bangs falling into his eyes as he focuses on his task. His fox ears twitch atop his head, picking up on every small noise.

A few moments later, he’s done brushing his tail and flicks it behind him. Sungjin watches as it moves, seemingly with a life of its own. It’s like a flame, the very tip a shade of cream. It’s beautiful.

Sungjin doesn’t realize he’s been staring until he feels the boy’s gaze directed back at him over the rim of his teacup. Sungjin looks away quickly, feeling his face grow warm.

It’s quiet for a while, both of them drinking their tea silently, before Sungjin decides he’ll try one more question.

“Will you tell me your name?” he asks. He’s not surprised when all he gets in response is that pair of angled eyes watching him carefully.

“Okay, I’ll have to give you a name then. What about Michael? Like Michael Jackson.”

The boy smiles, putting his now empty teacup on the table and bringing his knees up against his chest.

“Okay no, you don’t seem like a Michael.” Sungjin taps a finger on his cup thoughtfully, “What about Bruno? Or Ed? Justin?”

Sungjin is pleased to see the boy’s smile grow into a genuine grin. He must know Sungjin is just listing names of pop singers off the top of his head.

“None of those fit,” Sungjin says with a laugh, “Maybe not a singer then. What about David? Or Brian?”

The boy lets out a snort at that and starts laughing, hugging his knees tight to his chest. His tail sways behind him in amusement.

“What? It suits you,” Sungjin says with a grin.

_Happiness also suits you._

Sungjin gets up to take their cups to the kitchen, but the boy jumps up, grabbing Sungjin’s from his hand along with his own and taking them to the kitchen to be washed. Sungjin shakes his head with a smile as he grabs extra blankets and a pillow, laying them out on the couch.

“Come get me if you need anything, okay?” Sungjin says with a yawn.

The boy nods as he returns from the kitchen, sitting back down on the couch. Sungjin is halfway through his bedroom doorway, when he hears a soft voice.

“My name is Younghyun.”

 _Younghyun._ Sungjin can’t help but give an internal cheer for this breakthrough.

“Much better than Brian,” Sungjin says as he turns to look at him. “Goodnight, Younghyun.”

“Goodnight,” Younghyun replies, mirroring Sungjin’s smile with a tiny one of his own.

+++

Younghyun opens his eyes the next morning and sits up with a start. This isn’t his bedroom.

He looks around with wide eyes, his heart beating fast. Sunlight filters in through grey curtains and a TV is across from the couch he was sleeping on. Wait—

_A couch?_

Memories from last night come rushing back. He’s at the restaurant guy’s apartment. _Park Sungjin._

As if summoned by Younghyun’s thoughts, Sungjin’s bedroom door opens and he walks out, his hair wildly dishevelled. He stops when he notices Younghyun is awake.

“Oh, good morning,” he says with a smile.

Younghyun smiles back, suddenly feeling nervous. He curls his tail around his body. _As if that’s going to protect you,_ he chides himself.

Sungjin continues his course to the kitchen. “Do you want coffee?” he asks, as he starts setting up the machine. Younghyun gets up and follows him, shaking his head no. Younghyun watches as Sungjin makes coffee. It seems complicated.

“Tea, then?” Sungjin asks when he’s done with the coffee machine, and Younghyun nods. Sungjin fills the kettle with water and turns it on.

“Give me five minutes and I’ll make breakfast, okay?” he says as he walks into the bathroom.

Younghyun nods and sits down at the kitchen table. After a few minutes though, there’s a knock at the door. Younghyun’s heart jumps. _Had they found him somehow?_ He gets to his feet, glancing between the front door and the bathroom, willing Sungjin to hurry up. He hears the water running and hopes he’s almost done. Should he knock on the bathroom door?

To his relief, Sungjin walks out a few moments later, but stops in his tracks when he sees the look on Younghyun’s face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Someone’s at the door,” Younghyun whispers.

Sungjin visibly relaxes. “It’s okay, it’s probably just Dowoon. He always comes around when he wakes up early enough to mooch free breakfast off me.” Sungjin glances through the peephole and nods, “He’s probably curious about you too.”

He turns back to Younghyun, hesitating before he opens the door.

“Do you want me to tell him to leave?”

Younghyun frowns. “Why?”

“Why what?” Sungjin asks. “You mean why would I ask him to leave?”

Younghyun nods.

Sungjin’s eyebrows furrow, “Well, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. He can just go buy breakfast or make something himself. Not a big deal.”

Younghyun considers this. No one has really ever asked him if he was okay with something, except maybe Mrs. Lee. But she had only been there to take care of him _after_ bad things happened, not before. Younghyun has always just followed whatever his family wanted, whether he liked it or not.

This was new.

“He’s your friend?”

Sungjin nods.

“And he’s a hybrid. Like me?”

Sungjin nods again.

Younghyun bites his lip. “I’m okay if he comes in.”

“Are you sure?”

Younghyun nods in response, and Sungjin gives him a reassuring smile. “I think you’ll like him,” he says as he turns to unlock the door. He opens it to a boy with floppy white dog ears atop his head, and an equally white tail wagging happily behind him.

“Good morning!” he says with a grin. “Oh! Hello,” he says, when he notices Younghyun standing behind Sungjin. His eyes travel over Younghyun. “I’ve never met a fox hybrid before!”

Younghyun feels Sungjin’s eyes on him, waiting for his reaction.

“What’s your name?” Dowoon asks.

Younghyun is silent for a moment. Should he reveal his name to a second person?

_Not yet._

“It’s Brian,” Younghyun finally says.

“That’s a nice name! I’m Dowoon.”

That makes Younghyun smile at Sungjin and he grins back. As ridiculous of a name Brian is, maybe he could get used to it.

+++

Sungjin decides to make pancakes and Younghyun watches from the side, sipping his tea, as Sungjin mixes the ingredients. Dowoon is sitting at the kitchen table chattering away. They met barely ten minutes ago, but Younghyun already feels like he’s known him for much longer.

“Do you need help?” Younghyun asks Sungjin as he puts an electric beater into the batter. It turns on with a loud noise which makes Younghyun flinch, his ears pinning back to his head in surprise

“Not at the moment,” Sungjin says with a smile. If he had noticed Younghyun getting startled, he doesn’t mention it.

When a few pancakes have been made, Dowoon starts eating, saying he has to leave soon because he has class in an hour. Sungjin tells Younghyun to start eating too but he shakes his head no. He’s hungry, but he doesn’t want to eat before Sungjin does. He’s used to it anyway. Back at home they were only allowed to start eating once their parents took their first bite, even if the food was already sitting on the table in front of them. _It’s a sign of respect,_ his father would say.

Younghyun turns his attention back to the pancakes. There’s one in the pan right now, the batter bubbling slightly. Sungjin turns and holds out the spatula to Younghyun.

“Do you want to try?” he asks with a smile.

He kind of does want to try.

“I’ll ruin it,” Younghyun says.

Sungjin shrugs, “Then we can make another one.”

Younghyun gingerly takes the spatula from Sungjin’s hand, and Dowoon comes up on Younghyun’s other side to observe. Younghyun watches the bubbles rise and pop in the middle of the pancake.

“Do I do it now?” he asks hesitantly, and Sungjin nods.

Younghyun slides the spatula under the pancake, flipping it over the way he saw Sungjin do repeatedly. It lands off centre, threatening to slide out of the pan, but Sungjin tilts the pan so it slides back in.

Dowoon gives a cheer, “It’s perfect!”

His enthusiasm is contagious and Younghyun grins too, his tail swaying behind him. He turns and notices Sungjin watching him with a smile, but he quickly looks away when they make eyes meet.

“Good job,” he says, keeping his eyes down as he moves Younghyun’s pancake onto the top of the growing stack beside the stove. Younghyun cocks his head to the side. Was Sungjin avoiding eye contact? Did he do something wrong?

“You’re lucky, Brian.” Dowoon says, breaking Younghyun away from his thoughts, “Sungjin barely lets anyone help him when he’s cooking.” His eyes glint mischievously, “It was even a struggle for him to let Jaebeom help when the restaurant first opened. And he’s the sous chef!”

Sungjin frowns in response. “Enough talk, go finish your breakfast, Mr. I-have-class-in-an-hour.”

Dowoon shoots Younghyun a grin and a wink, and then obediently starts gobbling down his last pancake. Meanwhile, Sungjin appears to be focused on spooning more batter onto the pan, but Younghyun can see that the tips of his ears have turned pink.

And despite Dowoon’s teasing comments, Sungjin lets Younghyun help him make the rest of the pancakes.

+++

The rest of the day drags on for Younghyun. Sungjin goes to work at the restaurant, so Younghyun is left alone at the apartment. He tries watching TV, but soon gets sick of that, and he finds himself staring out at the street below through the floor to ceiling windows in the living room. Snow falls lightly, sparkling in the sunlight as it passes the windows. Younghyun imagines what it would be like to go outside and be one of those people walking by. And every time Younghyun sees a hybrid, he perks up, watching them until they leave of his line of sight.

He makes up stories for their lives, what they’re doing and where they’re going. He makes one of them a student, like Dowoon, getting a cup of coffee before they have to commute to class. A female cat hybrid pushing a stroller catches his eye, he thinks she’s finishing some errands and taking her baby out for some fresh air. Younghyun muses on the fact that they seem to be equals, no difference between the regular humans outside, and the hybrids. No one seems to bat an eye, just happy to go about their own business.

Younghyun wonders again why his parents would lie to him. Now that he thinks about it, he realizes that his siblings never talked about hybrids being at their schools or work places. He wonders if they had been lying to him too? Or avoiding talking about certain things in front of him?

All the staff who worked at the estate were humans too; there wasn’t a single hybrid. Was that intentional?

He warms up leftovers from the restaurant in the microwave, which Sungjin showed him how to use before he left. After dinner he curls up again in the armchair he had dragged beside the windows earlier, watching the town light up below him. Younghyun rests his elbows on the armrest, his chin in his hands.

He wants to be like them so badly—he wishes he could be free.

Younghyun is startled by a click at the door, a key turning in the lock. He turns to see Sungjin walking in, stomping snow off of his boots. “Hello,” he says with a smile. “You didn’t have to stay up, it’s pretty late.”

Was it late? Younghyun hadn’t noticed. Besides, he doesn’t feel tired at all. He watches Sungjin for a second before turning back to the window and staring blankly. He hears Sungjin come to stand beside him. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

Younghyun turns to him in surprise, eyes travelling over his face. “Aren’t you tired?”

Sungjin shrugs, “Kinda, but a walk would be nice.”

Younghyun smiles slowly, “Okay,” he says, uncurling from armchair.

Sungjin pulls his boots back on and waits at the door as Younghyun pulls on his coat. “We need to get you new shoes,” he muses, as he watches Younghyun tie the laces of his dress shoes.

Most of the shops are closed now as it’s past midnight, but Younghyun doesn’t mind. He admires the different Christmas lights hung on the stores and the way they sparkle in the snow. There are still a few people walking around and laughing as they head home from their nights out. Sungjin is telling him about his day, and about a ridiculous customer they had at the restaurant.

Younghyun sighs in contentment, a smile on his face.

They walk for a few minutes and end up at a playground. Sungjin brushes snow off of the swings and sits down, beckoning Younghyun over to the one beside him.

Younghyun wonders if he can have this everyday. An idea forms in his mind.

“Sungjin?” he starts tentatively.

“Yeah?”

“Do you need help at your restaurant?”

Sungjin turns to him in surprise. “If you’re trying to repay me or something, you don’t have to.”

“I want to help!” Younghyun says quickly, his voice rising louder than he’d intended. “And, I don’t want to stay inside anymore,” he breathes more softly, looking away. He starts swinging slowly, kicking his feet at the frozen ground.

“Were you lonely today?”

Younghyun’s eyebrows furrow. He hadn’t felt lonely. He’s used to being alone, okay with it even. It was just that now that he’d gotten a taste of the outside world, had seen that there’s nothing stopping him from having a normal life, he wants it for himself. Badly.

“Not lonely,” he says slowly.

Sungjin is quiet, waiting for him to continue.

“I want to know what it’s like,” Younghyun says, turning to look at Sungjin. “To live a normal life.”

Sungjin smiles wryly, “Well, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. But if that’s really what you want, you can come with me tomorrow.”

Younghyun grins.

“We have to figure out a disguise for you though.”

Younghyun glances at him in surprise. He thought hybrids didn’t have to hide?

Sungjin seems to read his thoughts, shaking his head. “Not because you’re a hybrid, but because you’re a _fox_ hybrid. I didn’t even know fox hybrids existed until now, and Dowoon said the same.” Sungjin stares at him for a second, “I assume you can’t have come from too far away if you were on foot. People talk, and word will surely get around that there’s a fox hybrid in town.”

Younghyun’s eyes widen in surprise as he listens to Sungjin. Now that he thinks about it, he had only seen a handful of hybrids when he was people watching earlier, but they had all been either cat or dog hybrids. He frowns, kicking at the ground again.

Maybe the fact that he was a fox hybrid was related to why his parents had kept him hidden? Was being a rare hybrid more dangerous? He desperately wants to just _ask_ them, but going back would mean losing whatever freedom he has gained, and he desperately wants to hold onto this.

And despite the estate being the only home he has ever known; he thinks he’d be okay if he never set foot in that place ever again.

+++

Sungjin watches as Dowoon takes a few steps back to assess their work one last time, as they stand in the tiny office at the back of the restaurant.

“Not bad, if I do say so myself,” Dowoon says with a grin.

Sungjin pulls the front of his cap lower over Younghyun’s forehead. It keeps lifting out of place. “Don’t move your ears so much,” he says. Younghyun shoots him a glare and Dowoon lets out a burst of laughter.

“He can’t control it!” Dowoon says with a grin.

“Oh, sorry,” Sungjin says sheepishly. They had spent a good part of the morning trying to figure out the best way to disguise that Younghyun was a hybrid, and had settled on a baseball cap, his ears flattened underneath, and his tail wrapped around his torso under his t-shirt. Then they’d thrown a bomber jacket of Sungjin’s on top to hide the way Younghyun’s tail made the shirt puff out. Sungjin had worried at first that Dowoon would want to know why they were trying to hide that Younghyun was a hybrid, but Dowoon being Dowoon had just helped with no questions asked.

“Just make sure you pull it down every so often,” Dowoon says. “It shouldn’t just fall off your head.”

Younghyun nods in response, flattening his hand over the top of the cap.

They all turn when the door opens.

“Sungjin have you seen the—Oh, hello,” the newcomer says, surprise on her face.

“Hey, Sunmi,” Sungjin says, “This is Brian.”

“Nice to meet you, Brian,” she says, extending her hand.

Younghyun shakes it, giving her a small smile. “Dowoon, can you show Brian what we do to prepare for opening?” he says, giving Dowoon a stare which he hopes conveys, _let me explain this to her._

Dowoon catches on, placing a hand on Younghyun’s shoulder and guiding him out the door.

“You hired someone new?” Sunmi asks, a delicate eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, you said we need an extra hand.”

Sunmi nods, “We do, but you usually let me handle the hiring.”

“I know, I’m sorry. He’s a friend who needed a job.”

Sunmi sighs, “Well as long as he does the work, it doesn’t really matter. Have you had him fill in the new hire forms yet?”

Sungjin freezes. He hadn’t thought of the paperwork. He doesn’t think Younghyun has an ID or anything to even fill in the forms. They could always fake it, but making a record of him being here doesn’t seem right.

“He’s a volunteer,” he blurts out.

“A volunteer,” she deadpans.

“Yeah.”

“But you said he needed a job?”

“Yeah. Not for the money. For the experience!” Sungjin winces. They’ve known each other for a long time—Sunmi can probably see straight through his lies. And this was a pretty weak lie at that.

“Okay, I don’t know what you’ve got yourself into Sungjin, but we do need an extra hand—which we also can’t really afford.” Her eyes narrow, “You’re not doing anything illegal right.”

Sungjin shakes his head no. At least he doesn’t _think_ Younghyun’s involved in anything illegal.

Sunmi seems to consider it for a moment before shrugging. “Okay, I’m cool with it then.”

Sungjin relaxes in relief.

But then, Sunmi grins that cat-like smile that matches her ears and tail so well.

Sungjin frowns. He knows that look.

“He’s pretty, where’d you find him?” she says, grin wide, her tail swaying behind her. A cat ready to pounce on her next victim.

Sungjin groans internally. _The alley behind our restaurant,_ he wants to say just to shut her up.

Instead, he rolls his eyes as he walks past her out of the office. Sunmi starts laughing behind him, pleased by the reaction she received. As he enters the kitchen, Sungjin glances at Younghyun who is watching carefully as Dowoon shows him where to stack the clean plates.

_Huh._

He has to agree with Sunmi on that, Younghyun _is_ kind of pretty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sungjin best boy honestly.
> 
> fun story: the sunmi character changed so much from my original plan. at first i had nayeon as a hostess character, but then i was like, maybe sungjin should have a co-owner of the restaurant. so then it was gonna be nayeon co-owner, but that didn't seem right so i was thinking of who it could be, and i was _this_ close to making it irene lol. but then i was like nah, that's way too random, sunmi it is. and i think it turned out well??
> 
> new chapters will be updated weekly going forward on friday/saturday (unless i get impatient)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a walk in the forest & a visit to the restaurant. sungjin borrows some furniture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tags have been updated!

Jae frowns as they follow the police dog and handler through the forest, snow crunching beneath their feet. No one would survive out here for long. Winter had come early this year, and every night in the past week had gone below freezing temperatures. He shivers as he pulls his scarf tighter around his neck. He should’ve worn a warmer jacket. But then again, he hadn’t expected that they would be trudging through the forest today.

The Captain had handed them their new case first thing that morning: a missing persons case. The thing was, the subject had already been missing for a week, and the family hadn’t reported them missing until now. Jae shakes his head. He thought it was common knowledge by now that the first 48 hours after someone disappears are the most critical.

He sighs heavily as they trudge through a snow drift.

“There’s something off about this case,” he says to no one in particular.

“You’ve said that like five times now, Jae,” his partner Mark says amiably. “And I’m not disagreeing.”

“It just doesn’t add up! What kind of family doesn’t have a single photo of their child?”

Mark shrugs. “I dunno, rich people are weird,” he says, shoving his hands deep into his pockets to ward off the cold.

All the family had been able to provide was an outdated family portrait made when the subject had been ten years old. Not a picture—a painted portrait. Jae pulls out his phone, opening up the picture he had taken of the painting hung up in a dark corner of the library. A young boy with serious eyes stares back, red fox ears peeking out from his dark hair.

+++

The detectives had headed home that evening with no further leads, leaving the police dog and handler to follow the trail. The next morning, they received a call—the scent had been lost in Eastcliff.

“The handler estimates it was a sixteen hour walk with no breaks from the Kang estate in Whitebridge, to where the scent was lost in Eastcliff,” Mark says as they drive down the highway.

“Kang Younghyun travelled a long way,” Jae muses. “Let’s try to figure out a timeline.”

Mark thinks about it for a second. “Sixteen hours, and he must have stopped to rest along the way. I’d guess around twenty-four hours in total?” He glances at Jae for confirmation.

Jae nods, chewing on a mouthful of donut. “Since he went missing on Wednesday, we’re probably looking at sometime Thursday night for his arrival in Eastcliff.”

Mark grins, looking pleased with himself.

“And where do you think we should start the search?” Jae asks, scrolling through his phone with his free hand. Mark’s eyebrows furrow at the unexpected question.

Jae isn’t making Mark do all the work. Oh no, he’s just helping him _learn._

“Uh, a motel maybe?” Mark asks.

“His parents said he had no money on him, Mark.”

“Right.” Mark side-eyes Jae, who is mid bite into his donut. “Food then?”

Jae rolls his eyes. “Dude, we just stopped for coffee, you can’t seriously be hungry.”

“No, I mean restaurants or convenience stores? Wouldn’t he be hungry after walking that far?”

 _Bingo._ Jae grins, patting Mark on the shoulder, and Mark sits up straighter in his seat proudly.

Maybe all his teaching was actually working.

+++

They’d been at it for a few hours now, and while Eastcliff wasn’t that big of a town, it was still a lot of ground to cover. Mark lets out a huff of frustration after their thirtieth failed attempt.

“I know,” Jae says in understanding. The majority of police work wasn’t really as exciting as they made it seem on TV—sometimes it was just plain tedious and boring. “This is the only lead we have right now, though. Let’s see it through.”

Mark nods, reluctantly opening the map back up on his phone to find the next restaurant on the list.

As they walk in, Jae looks around in assessment. It’s a small but cozy looking place. There’s only one customer finishing up their dinner in the far corner, but other than that, the rest of the tables are empty. Makes sense since it was pretty late in the evening now. A waiter wiping down tables looks up to smile at them as they walk in—he’s young, a white dog hybrid _._ There’s one more employee behind the counter, but they have their back to the restaurant entrance, speaking to someone inside the kitchen.

“Sorry, we’re not taking any more seatings at this time,” the waiter says apologetically. “I can get you coffees to go though if you’d like?”

Jae glances at his nametag. _Dowoon._

“No, thank you. I’m Detective Lee and this is my partner, Detective Park. We’re currently investigating a missing persons case,” Mark says.

“Missing person?”

Mark nods. “A fox hybrid.”

Dowoon stiffens at that and Jae narrows his eyes. _Interesting._

“Were you working here last Thursday night?”

Dowoon unfreezes. “No, I don’t work on Thursdays.”

“Can we talk with anyone who was here that day?”

“Yeah, of course. Have a seat.” Dowoon gestures to a booth by the door before he turns to the kitchen, and when he does, Jae makes eye contact with the employee behind the counter. Serious eyes meet his. He has dark hair peeking out from the baseball cap pulled over his head, and a bomber jacket on top of his shirt. Jae pulls out his phone and glances down at the portrait of the Kang boy again. Of course, age has changed a lot, but those slanted, dark eyes remain the same.

Jae eyes the employee again—the hat and the jacket could easily be hiding hybrid features.

Jae glances at Mark to see if he has noticed too, but he’s busy looking around the restaurant, staring at the autographed pictures of local celebrities hung up on the walls. Jae shakes his head fondly and makes a note to tell him about the importance of observing people.

Jae looks back to the counter and watches as Dowoon drags the other employee into the kitchen with him.

Mark comes to sit beside him in the booth once he’s done with the pictures, and Jae decides not to voice his suspicions just yet. There’s something strange going on with this case, and Mark, the goody two shoes that he is, would definitely want to go and report everything to the Captain.

Jae has a growing feeling that that may not be such a good idea.

A man comes out of the kitchen then, with Dowoon following behind him. The other employee doesn’t reappear. The man introduces himself as Park Sungjin, owner of the restaurant. Dowoon starts wiping down tables again, but Jae can tell he’s listening in on the conversation, as he sticks to the tables surrounding their corner booth.

Mark runs through the questions they’ve been asking all day, but Jae isn’t really listening—he’s focused on Sungjin’s reactions. He toys with the piercings in his ears as he waits for Mark to finish taking notes and ask the next question.

_A sign of nervousness? Or of hiding something?_

Sungjin says he hasn’t seen any fox hybrids, and that he’ll let them know if he sees anything, taking Mark’s business card. Jae is sure he’s lying, but he wonders why.

_Maybe Kang Younghyun doesn’t want to be found?_

+++

Younghyun hides under the desk in the office, his knees pulled up against his chest. Dowoon had dragged him in here—telling him to hide in case the detectives wanted to look around—before leaving with Sungjin to see what they wanted.

Younghyun shuts his eyes tight.

As silly as it sounds, the past week has easily been the best of his entire life _._ Before, Younghyun had always stayed inside the estate, and had thought that that’s where he would always be for the rest of his life. Working at a restaurant—or working _anywhere_ really—was something he had never imagined could be possible. It was tiring, and definitely hard work at times, but having something to do, something with an actual purpose, made him feel proud of himself. Like he was actually making a difference, instead of just watching his family live out their lives from the sidelines.

Everyone at the restaurant had been genuinely kind to him too, and that had been surprising. At first, he had thought it was only because they didn’t know that he was a hybrid. If they knew, it would all change, and he would be treated poorly just like his parents had always said.

But then, Younghyun observed how everyone treated Sunmi, and Dowoon, and truthfully, he saw no difference. Hybrids were treated the same as regular humans, and it hurt to think about why he had been bound to the estate when he could have been free.

And now, it would all be over.

Tears fill his eyes, blurring his vision. He sobs, pulling his knees tighter to his chest, letting the pain in his heart take over. He can’t imagine having to go back to the estate now.

He would have to see his parents again, who had lied to him about everything, who had probably never really cared about him. And who are also probably very angry with him for running away.

Younghyun feels sick.

His heart jumps into his throat when he hears the click of the door opening. Younghyun holds his breath, forcing down the sobs that had been shaking his body moments earlier.

But then he hears a familiar voice.

“Younghyun?”

He doesn’t dare make a sound. He can’t tell if Sungjin is alone.

“The detectives are gone.” Sungjin’s footsteps come around the desk, and then he’s crouching in front of him.

_Gone, and not coming back?_

Sungjin squints at him in the darkness of the office, and then his eyes widen when he sees that Younghyun is crying. “Hey, it’s okay,” he says softly.

“Please don’t send me back,” Younghyun says, his words interrupted by a hiccupped sob.

Sungjin’s eyes widen further.

“I promise I’ll be good—I’ll keep helping you here. I’ll clean your apartment. Anything you want!” His whole body is shaking again. “Just please, let me stay.”

Sungjin frowns. “Hey, no, I already told you. You don’t have to go anywhere you don’t want to. You can stay here.” He reaches out tentatively and rests his hand on Younghyun’s arm.

Younghyun can only stare at him.

“Are the detectives really gone?” he whispers after a moment, disbelievingly.

Sungjin nods. He crawls under the desk beside him when the sobs don’t stop, wrapping an arm around Younghyun’s shoulders. Younghyun rests his head on Sungjin’s shoulder and relaxes into his side.

“I think they bought it, I told them I haven’t seen any fox hybrids.”

Younghyun feels a bit of the weight lifting off his chest.

“Thank you,” he whispers. The tears keep falling though—he can’t help feeling scared. If the detectives came here, that means that they were on his case. If they had figured out that he was in Eastcliff, they could get close again.

Younghyun shuts his eyes tight again, pretending that it’s only him and Sungjin in the world, in this tiny dark space under the desk.

+++

Sungjin watches as Younghyun curls up on the couch, not bothering to brush out his tail after he dries it from the shower like he usually does. He pulls the sheets up to his chin, facing the backrest of the couch.

Sungjin crouches beside the couch. “Aren’t you hungry?”

Younghyun shakes his head, curling into a tighter ball. Sungjin frowns. Even for the week Sungjin has known Younghyun, he was rarely one to skip meals.

“Are you sure? You might get hungry later in the night.”

Younghyun shakes his head again, pulling the sheets up over his head. Sungjin sighs, taking this as a sign that he wasn’t in the mood to talk. Despite being wrapped in the blanket, Younghyun’s tail hangs limply off the side of the couch. It’s been like that since they had gotten home, his tail dropped down, nearly dragging on the floor. If before it was like his tail had a life of his own, the flame of a candle held up at attention, it had now been blown out in one quick breath.

Sungjin frowns further. The way Younghyun is curled up does not seem comfortable.

“I’ll be back,” Sungjin says, not sure if Younghyun is even awake to hear him, but he says it anyway. He runs over to Dowoon’s, and soon they’re pushing the little foldable cot Dowoon has for when his family is in town back to Sungjin’s apartment.

“Why didn’t I think of this?” Dowoon asks as they push the cot into the corner of Sungjin’s living room.

Sungjin shrugs. “I didn’t think of it either until now.” They pull it open, setting the mattress on top, and Dowoon sits down to test it out.

Younghyun sits up on the couch curiously, and Sungjin suppresses a smile. _Done with pretending to ignore us, huh?_ He watches them over the back of the couch, and Sungjin notes with satisfaction that his ears have perked up, no longer lying back against his head.

Dowoon grins through a yawn as he notices Younghyun peeking over at them. “Keep it as long as you need,” he says getting up. “My family isn’t planning on visiting anytime soon because of the snow.”

Sungjin nods, patting him on the back. “Thanks, Dowoon.”

“No problem! See you guys tomorrow,” Dowoon says as he leaves, the apartment door shutting behind him.

Younghyun gets up and watches as Sungjin grabs his now abandoned blanket and pillows and lays them out on the cot. Sungjin turns to him, smiling encouragingly.

“This is for me?” Younghyun asks.

Sungjin nods. “I know it’s kinda small, but I thought it might be better than the couch—”

Sungjin’s word are cut-off by arms thrown around his neck, Younghyun hugging him tight. He tenses in surprise, before tentatively hugging back. Younghyun is warm from being wrapped in the blanket moments earlier, his fox ear brushing lightly against his cheek. He smells nice, like something sweet Sungjin can’t place, probably the shampoo Dowoon had given him that was supposedly better for hybrid fur.

“Thank you,” Younghyun whispers. “For everything.”

Sungjin smiles as they pull apart. It’s strange. He doesn’t know why he’s become so invested in helping this stranger—or why he’s starting to care so much about him.

Sungjin watches as Younghyun sits on the edge of the cot hesitantly, as if it might break beneath him. He curls up on his side, the way he had been lying on the couch. Then he spreads out on his back like a starfish with a giggle, making Sungjin laugh too.

“It’s perfect,” Younghyun says, smiling up at Sungjin brightly.

Sungjin grins back. He’s pleased. Pleased that Younghyun is finally smiling, despite his eyes still being rimmed red from all the crying. Pleased that his tail wasn’t lying lifeless anymore, and instead lazily flicking against the mattress.

Pleased that Younghyun was happier—even if just for a little while—and that made Sungjin inexplicably happier too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing younghyun's pov is so hard because he thinks too much and only says like 3 words out loud but his thoughts are just angst angst angst and my mind is like ok but let's skip to the comfort part of hurt/comfort loll
> 
> and not that anyone wants to know but the saga of how i chose minor characters continues, this time detective mark lee edition: at first detective mark was supposed to be mark tuan from got7 lol but then the goody two shoes pure and cute personality didn't fit well so i scrapped that. then, i was first drafting this chapter around the time aespa debuted, so there were all those "markelle lee, newest member of sm's new gg" memes. and that is how detective mark lee was born.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jae gets coffee, sungjin discovers the joys of reading, and younghyun ruins his appetite.

A few days later, Jae makes the hour-long drive to Eastcliff again. This time, he goes alone in the hopes that he would actually get a chance to speak with Kang Younghyun. He timed his arrival to get there right as the restaurant opened, and as he expected, the restaurant is empty. It’s only eleven in the morning, too early for most people to be eating lunch. As he walks in, the same waiter from the other evening is there, and his eyes widen when he sees Jae.

Jae holds up his hands to try and show that he comes in peace. “I just want to talk to him.”

“Talk to who?” Dowoon asks, but his voice cracks at the end, revealing that he most likely knows _who_ exactly Jae is referring to.

“Is Park Sungjin here?” Jae asks instead.

Dowoon’s eyes narrow, but he calls Sungjin’s name into the kitchen. His eyes never stray from Jae, watching him carefully as if he expects Jae will try rushing past him into the back of the restaurant. Jae tries to look as innocent as possible, giving a reassuring smile. Dowoon doesn’t return it and instead narrows his eyes further.

Jae sighs. If he were Dowoon, he’d be suspicious too.

“What do you need,” Sungjin asks Dowoon as he comes out of the kitchen, but he freezes in the doorway when he sees Jae. The surprised expression on his face then morphs into careful neutrality.

“Hello, Detective,” he says.

“Hello, Mr. Park. I’d like to speak with Kang Younghyun.”

“I don’t know who that is,” Sungjin says. Jae has to give him props for keeping his voice steady, but he can tell Sungjin is lying from his body language. His hands are gripped into fists at his sides, and his eyes remain unblinkingly staring back at Jae.

“I know he’s here.” Jae does not in fact know that Younghyun is here, but he decides to take his chances.

“Where’s your partner?” Sungjin asks instead, ignoring what Jae had said.

 _Damn it._ Why couldn’t it ever be easy?

“He’s not here, I came alone,” Jae says with a sigh. “Look, I’m not here to take him away. This is a missing persons case, and Kang Younghyun isn’t a criminal from what I can see at least. I just want to speak with him.”

There’s a beat of tense silence.

Then someone comes through the kitchen doorway, pushing past Sungjin, and Jae thinks he was probably listening in the entire time. He has the hat and jacket on again, same as the other night, but in the bright sunlight streaming in from the windows, Jae can’t blame it on the dim restaurant lighting playing with his eyes. His hunch had been right. This is Younghyun, the missing son of the Kang family.

“It’s okay,” Younghyun says to Sungjin and Dowoon, who turn to him with wide eyes. “I want to know what he has to say.”

Jae nods, relieved, and Sungjin jumps into action, gesturing to the empty corner booth furthest from the door. They sit down, Jae on one side, Younghyun on the other. Sungjin stands bedside the table, hovering awkwardly, until Younghyun grabs his wrist and pulls him down to sit beside him.

_Huh._

“I know you’re Kang Younghyun,” Jae says. “But like I said, I’m not here to take you back if you don’t want to go.”

“Why?” Younghyun asks, distrust clear in his eyes.

“Well, you’re not a minor, so technically you don’t have to go back. And you seem like you’re in the right state of mind, and not being held here unwillingly.” He raises an eyebrow to Sungjin at that.

Sungjin’s eyes widen and he shakes his head. “Younghyun can leave whenever, if he wants to.”

Jae nods decisively. “So, it’s your choice. Do you want to go back?”

Younghyun doesn’t take any time to think about it, replying immediately with a firm shake of his head.

“No.”

“Okay, that’s what I thought.” Jae toys with the napkin on the table. When he had debated coming to the restaurant, his instinct that something was off about this case was what had finally convinced him to try talking to Younghyun. But why was he so adamant about not going back? What was Jae missing?

Sungjin interrupts Jae’s thoughts with a question. “If you recognized him the other night, why didn’t you say anything?”

Jae smiles wryly. “As good of a detective my partner Mark is, he’s a really by the book kinda guy. Even though he would’ve agreed that you don’t have to go back, he would’ve filed a report to close the case on where we found you. And I don’t think that’s what you want.”

Younghyun’s eyes are wide.

“Look, I’ve been with the ACPD long enough to understand the politics of this place, okay? I know if the Kangs really wanted to find you, all they’d have to do is pull some strings at the station, and that report would magically drop into their hands. If you don’t want them to find you, I won’t file a report.”

Younghyun nods, hope shining bright in his eyes, and Jae feels like he’s making the right decision. For whatever reason, Younghyun doesn’t want to go back to his family, and Jae would rather go against the rules and red tape than let the people in power win once again. Especially when it seems like there’s an innocent life at stake here, caught in the balance.

“Don’t you have to close the case though?” Sungjin asks, his mouth twisted into a distrustful frown.

Jae shakes his head. “You’d be surprised how easy it is for a missing persons case to go cold. Especially for hybrids, I’ve seen it happen too many times.” He turns to Younghyun as he continues, “Plus, your parents only reported you missing a week after you disappeared. No one’s going to be surprised if we don’t solve the case.”

There’s a beat of silence and Jae glances between the two of them. Younghyun worries at his bottom lip, while Sungjin’s frown is now less intense as he mulls over Jae’s response.

“Why did they only report me missing after a week?” Younghyun asks, breaking the silence.

Jae shakes his head ruefully. “I wondered that too, and I honestly have no idea. Your parents said it was because you’d run away before and they thought you would come back, but a week seems way too long to me.”

“I’ve never run away before,” Younghyun says.

“I’m sorry,” Jae says gently. He can see the pain clearly in Younghyun’s eyes. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

They all go silent again and Jae watches them until his curiosity gets the best of him.

“Why did you run?” he asks.

Younghyun frowns, staring down at the table as if it holds the answers to the universe. He doesn’t reply. As the silence stretches on, Sungjin shakes his head slowly at Jae.

“Coffee?” he asks.

Jae nods, following as Sungjin beckons him over to the counter. “He doesn’t talk about it,” Sungjin says softly.

Jae raises an eyebrow. “You don’t know what happened either?”

“No,” Sungjin says with a shake of his head. He grabs a to go cup and starts filling it with coffee.

“Are you guys friends or something?” Jae asks.

Sungjin blinks in surprise. “I guess we are?”

Jae’s other eyebrow rises in disbelief. “So you only met him after he ran?”

“Yeah, found him in the alley by the restaurant.”

“You, sir,” Jae says, shaking his head slowly, “Are either a saint or a crazy person.”

Sungjin laughs, handing Jae the coffee. His eyes sparkle as they catch the light, and Jae is struck by the genuineness of his smile. _Maybe a saint then._

“How much for the coffee?” Jae asks.

Sungjin shakes his head. “Take it, it’s on me.”

Jae slides his hand into his pocket, with Sungjin still shaking his head profusely, and drops the five-dollar bill he fishes out into the tip jar. “Here, take this too,” he says as he hands Sungjin his business card. “If you ever need anything, call me.”

“Thank you,” Sungjin says with a nod. He bites his lip, his eyes flicking to the booth they had been sitting in. “And I know Younghyun is thankful too.”

Jae glances back at the booth at the mention of Younghyun’s name to see him with his head pillowed in his arms on the table, watching their conversation intently. Jae gives him a little wave as he turns to leave, and the corners of Younghyun’s lips tick up ever so slightly.

Not a full smile, but he’ll take it.

+++

A few days later, Jae looks up at a knock at his office door and his entire mood sours.

Jae frowns, hoping the disdain is clear on his face as he says, “Kim Wonpil.”

Wonpil seems undeterred by the not-so-welcoming greeting and grins brightly. “Good morning to you too, Detective!”

If Jae were to describe Kim Wonpil, _annoying_ would be an understatement. He would show up at the station, regardless of whether they were even having a press conference, always asking questions the detectives couldn’t answer. Mark was now banned from even attending press conferences because one time, he had spilled pertinent case information under Wonpil’s questioning and they had lost their suspect because of it.

Wonpil leans against the doorframe, coffee in hand. Jae frowns. The cup he’s holding is the same as the ones they use in the police station’s kitchen. _Now he’s a coffee thief too?_

“What do you want?” Jae asks.

“The missing hybrid case, I’m interested.”

Jae tenses in surprise. _How does Wonpil know about the Kang case?_ The Captain had given them strict instructions that only those involved in the investigation should know about it, especially not the media. Jae decides to play dumb.

“What missing hybrid?”

Wonpil rolls his eyes. “Come on, I have my sources. The Kang family’s missing hybrid son. Got any info you can share?”

Jae shakes his head. “I never have any info to share with _you._ ”

“Tsk, can’t we let bygones be bygones, Detective?”

Jae sits back in his chair, feigning an air of nonchalance.

“How did you hear about the case?” he asks.

Wonpil grins, taking this as an invitation to take a seat in the chair on the other side of Jae’s desk. “If I tell you, will you let me in on it?”

Jae gives him a deadpan look. He shrugs in response.

“I can’t tell if that’s a yes or a no,” Wonpil says narrowing his eyes.

“Whatever, I change my mind, I don’t care how you found out about the case.” Jae sits up straight, pretending to go back to his emails.

Wonpil’s eyes widen and Jae has to suppress a grin. _Gotcha._

“Okay, okay, I know about it because of Detective Lee,” Wonpil finally says.

Jae frowns—clearly Mark hadn’t learned his lesson about talking to Kim Wonpil.

“Now don’t go yelling at him or anything, he went to get me a cup of coffee, and perhaps I just happened to see the file sitting on his desk.”

“I could arrest you right now.”

“It’s not a crime to _observe,_ Detective,” Wonpil says, eyeing Jae as he sips his coffee. “Besides, he wouldn’t say anything about the case, told me to come talk to you.”

Jae sighs. At least Mark had that much sense.

“Why are you so interested?” Jae asks.

Wonpil is quiet for a moment, eyeing Jae as if assessing him. “I think this case may be bigger than it appears,” he says eventually.

Jae frowns. What was that supposed to mean?

He could worry about that later though. If Wonpil were to write an article on this case, someone would surely find Younghyun. Or, Jae would get fired once someone discovered that he had already found Younghyun and didn’t file a report. Whichever came first. It’s only a matter of time once the media gets involved.

“At this point, we have nothing to share with you,” Jae says firmly.

Wonpil purses his lips. “Very well.” He stands up and digs in his pocket before dropping a business card onto Jae’s desk. “Call me if you change your mind.” He grabs one of Jae’s business cards from the holder on his desk. “And I’ll call _you_ if I get any other information,” he says as he walks out of Jae’s office.

Jae stares at Wonpil’s receding figure down the hallway, wishing he could just read his mind. _What_ other information?

As Jae goes about the rest of his day, he finds himself unable to concentrate, mulling over the conversation he’d just had. Despite the case being practically (but not technically) closed—the missing person had been found safe and sound—Jae has a growing feeling that they’re just scratching the surface of this mystery.

But then, as the days go by and there are no further leads, the case slowly gets pushed to the bottom of their pile. A robbery, a drug bust, a shooting. Somehow, they all end up taking priority. And no one ever comes asking about Kang Younghyun.

And as Jae expected, the case goes cold.

+++

As the days pass with no further contact from Detective Park, Sungjin finds himself relieved beyond measure. Not only on Younghyun’s behalf, but also, unexpectedly, for himself.

At first, Sungjin had been surprised by how easily Younghyun fit into his life. At the restaurant, Younghyun had easily picked up different tasks, and he could now even wait tables when they needed an extra person. He did whatever was asked with a quiet enthusiasm which Sungjin had expected would die down after the realities of working in a restaurant kicked in, but no, so far, Younghyun’s excitement over living a normal life was still going strong.

And despite how quiet he was, the rest of the team seemed to like him too, easily accepting him into their little family. They caught on pretty quickly that Younghyun didn’t talk much, so eventually, they just stopped asking him questions, waiting for Younghyun to share whenever he was ready.

And he actually did, with Sungjin at least. Younghyun would tell him about the books he had read and little things from his childhood. Sungjin found out that he had been homeschooled and had gotten his degree in literature from home as well. That seemed strange to Sungjin—it seemed like Younghyun’s family were dead set against him interacting with the outside world.

Even the apartment felt a little warmer by having another person there. Sungjin hadn’t thought of himself as a lonely person, but having someone to share even the most mundane things with somehow everything just a tiny bit brighter.

And suddenly, Sungjin can’t imagine his life without him.

+++

After Younghyun reads every book Sungjin owns (mostly cookbooks and biographies of chefs that people had gifted him), Sungjin asks Younghyun on one of their days off if he’d like to go to the library. Sungjin can’t say he’s much of a reader—he only flicks through the cookbooks when he wants to try something new, and he’s never even touched the biographies—but seeing Younghyun’s surprise and excitement at the offer was enough for him.

The local library is small, really just an old house with the interior walls knocked down and bookshelves put up. Despite this, Younghyun’s eyes widen when they walk through the doors.

“It’s not as big as some of the others in the county, but I thought it would be safer to stay in Eastcliff,” Sungjin says.

Younghyun nods, trailing his fingers along the spines of the children’s books by the door.

“Anything specific you want to read?” Sungjin asks.

“Anything I haven’t read before,” Younghyun says, walking further into the library. The librarian at the front desk glances up as they pass by and gives them a smile before going back to what she was doing.

They roam the library for a while, sharing things that look interesting and laughing over funny children’s books. Younghyun’s eyes shine in a way Sungjin hasn’t seen before; it’s fascinating to see a person’s passion written out so clearly on their face. Sure, while working in the food industry, Sungjin had met a lot of people who were crazy about food, but that joy was usually dampened by the realities of actually working in the industry. Younghyun has this unrestrained happiness by just being at the library, and it has Sungjin feeling an ache, like he wants to find his own passion again.

When Sungjin tells Younghyun he doesn’t read much, Younghyun recommends him a book of short mystery stories he had before. Meanwhile, Younghyun ends up finding a book he’s interested in.

“My father didn’t have any books where the characters are hybrids,” Younghyun says, staring at the cover with wide eyes—it features a drawing of a wolf hybrid.

Sungjin frowns. He remembers reading books with hybrid characters for school when he was younger, and even some written by hybrid authors. They weren’t rare by any account—whatever books Younghyun had access to before had purposely excluded anything about hybrids. It made sense, in a convoluted way. If Younghyun’s family was hiding the fact that hybrids could live out in the world freely, they wouldn’t want him to learn the truth from a book.

“Come on,” Sungjin says, walking back to the front desk.

Younghyun follows, holding the book to his chest tightly.

“Hello,” Sungjin says to the librarian. “Would you happen to have any recommendations of books written by hybrid authors?”

The librarian smiles at them. “Of course! Follow me,” she says, and leads them to the fiction section. “Any genre you prefer?”

Sungjin glances at Younghyun.

“Anything,” Younghyun says. “Whatever you recommend.”

“Well, my favourite is romance,” she says with a teasing smile. “But I don’t think you boys would be interested in that.”

Sungjin finds his cheeks warming up. He glances at Younghyun from the corner of his eye, but he’s just smiling, seemingly unaffected.

Younghyun shrugs, the smile still on his face. “Anything you think I’d like then,” he says.

“Okay,” the librarian says as she pulls two books off the shelf. “This one’s a mystery, and this is one of my favourite romances. Give them a try.”

Younghyun nods, thanking her. She coos over how nice it is to see young people at the library, and the two of them end up in an animated conversation about the benefits of reading. Sungjin trails behind with an amused smile on his lips. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen Younghyun talk this much with someone he just met. Hell, Younghyun has only recently started saying more than a few words to Dowoon, and they’ve known each other for weeks now.

As they checkout, the librarian says, “Let me know what you think of the books, dear!”

Younghyun nods, a bright smile on his face. Sungjin feels like he could come to this place everyday, if it makes Younghyun this happy. Once they get outside Sungjin notices a new dessert place he had been meaning to try across the street.

“Wanna get dessert?” he asks on a whim. Despite the snow, he could go for some ice cream.

Younghyun wrinkles his nose. “My mother would say you shouldn’t ruin your appetite before dinner.”

“I didn’t ask what your mother would say,” Sungjin says, rolling his eyes. “I asked if _you_ wanted dessert.”

Younghyun looks surprised for a second, and he pauses on the sidewalk. He stares at Sungjin as he thinks. “Okay,” he says finally, a smile slowly growing on his lips. “Let’s get dessert.”

Sungjin grins, pulling Younghyun across the street.

And so, Sungjin’s now much less lonely life rolls on. The two of them go to the library every week, and Younghyun becomes Sungjin’s trying-new-restaurants buddy (for research purposes of course, definitely not because Sungjin wants Younghyun to try all the foods he’s never gotten to eat before), and Sungjin surprisingly finds that reading is not so bad.

And with every smile or laugh Sungjin gets from Younghyun, he swears his heart beats just a tiny bit faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and all the members' characters have now been introduced!! yayy

**Author's Note:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/_strawberryke)


End file.
